


To Build A Home

by seemeeimbeebee



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, mention of Henry, mention of Regina, post Underworld, speculation fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 12:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5290733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seemeeimbeebee/pseuds/seemeeimbeebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Killian have a hard time adjusting to their new home. Takes place after 5b. Spoilers through 5x09 and deals with what little we know of 5b so far.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Build A Home

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating! And happy Thursday to those who aren’t! I was listening to “To Build A Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra this morning and then I was inspired to write this little adventure. I hope you enjoy it! If you want to talk to me on Tumblr, I'm demisexualemmaswan!

He stops in front of the white picket fence. 

“Are you okay?” Emma asks worriedly, her hand flying to his back to steady him, her eyes worriedly searching his face for any signs of injury. Her eyes zero in on the scar on his neck, like she’s afraid it’s going to burst open at any moment. 

“I don’t think I can stay here tonight,” Killian whispers, his voice softer and rougher than she remembers it. “I...there’s too many memories.”

A lump forms in her throat. This was-- _is_ \--supposed to be their white picket fence, their happy endings. She’ll be damned if she lets this slip away from them now. She wants to reclaim that space. For her.

For them.

But she also understands. The prospect of sleeping in there alone is one she doesn’t look forward to. 

“Could we stay on the Jolly, Emma?”

“You want me to stay with you?”

“If you can.”

His voice is so hopeful that she can’t say no. And she doesn’t want to. So they walk to the Jolly because the Bug is in the shop and magic still feels so, so wrong against her fingertips. 

* * *

She sees how his face lights up when he sees his ship, and part of her wonders if she’ll have to sell the house. She knows that she’s the kind of person that can make newer, better memories over the bad ones. But it’s not about her anymore. 

It’s about them. 

“Home,” he says happily, taking off his coat and curling up in his bed.”You gonna join me, love?” He smiles. It’s such a Killian smile that she smiles too. The action feels strange on her lips.

Emma hesitantly climbs in next to him, keeping her distance. Her back faces him. Killian pulls her a little bit closer and she flinches at first. He freezes and she rolls over so she can look at him.

“I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you again. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again,” Emma admits, her voice shaking. She doesn’t meet his gaze because she is so ashamed of how she’s acting. He’s been through literal hell. He needs her comfort and care. He needs her to be strong, he needs--

Killian tugs her close, wrapping himself protectively around her. “I understand why now,” is all he tells her. It’s not just about why she won’t let herself touch him.

“I’m so sorry,” she mutters, her voice thick. Her hands are shaking as she clings to him tightly. She never wants to let him go again. 

“I forgive you,” he replies, cupping the back of her head. He never wants to let her go again either. 

* * *

He bolts awake screaming from a nightmare.

It breaks her heart the way he curls into her chest, shaking and trembling. He pleads with her to  _make it go away, Swan_  and  _make it stop hurting_. 

Something in the back of her mind tells her that magic would be such an easy fix but she’s not ready for that yet. So she cradles him close, rocking him back and forth. 

Her phone lights up, letting her know that Henry has called while they’ve been sleeping. Her background is a picture of Killian holding Henry’s phone above his head. She remembers taking it during the six weeks of calm they had in between the Snow Queen and the Queens of Darkness. 

“What’s that picture?” Killian asks her softly, his head resting on her shoulder. So she takes her phone off the bedside table and tells him. It doesn’t escape her notice how he relaxes against her as she talks. The corners of his lips turn upward in a smile as he remembers.

Hers do too. 

“Do you want to see another picture?” she murmurs against his hair, gently stroking the back of her hair. He nods. She shows him another one--just a selfie of her and Henry at Granny’s--and tells him about the first time she realized that she and Henry both liked cinnamon in their hot cocoa. 

His eyes flutter shut, with a sleepy request for  _one more picture, Emma_. 

She takes her time swiping through the pictures on her phone so she can find the perfect one. It’s a goofy picture of Killian and Henry pretending to be zombies after Regina while Regina looks  _thoroughly_  unamused. 

She giggles when she finds it. Emma looks down at him to show him the picture and tell him the story. He’s fallen asleep, curled up contently against her shoulder. 

It gives her an idea.

* * *

 

“Do you trust me?” Emma asks, looking up at him. Her hand his clasped tightly around his hook. “You know I wouldn’t make you go in there if you’re not ready.” 

“There’s a lot of painful memories in there. For both of us,”  Killian replies, his thumb running over the small of her back as if to reassure himself that she’s still there and so is he. “What exactly do you have in mind, love?”

“You’ll see,” Emma says softly, leading him into the house. It has mostly been unchanged since they left for the Underworld. Killian flinches as stares at the spot where he found out that he was also a Dark One. She cups his face in her hand. “Come back to me.”

He does. He notices a big box just to his right. “What’s that?” he asks curiously.

“Let me show you,” she tells him with a grin. She leads him over to the box and sits down to open it. He sits down beside her. “Close your eyes,” she instructs him, still grinning.

He does so, and feels her place something small in his lap. His eyes open. It’s the picture of Emma and Henry that was on her cellphone. Killian smiles at it and traces his thumb around the frame.

“Put it somewhere,” she encourages gently. “I’ve got nails and a hammer if you want to put it on the wall.”

Killian stands up and walks over to the spot in the house where Zelena stabbed him. “Here,” he says determinedly, his eyes bright. Emma grins at him and brings over the hammer and nails to hang it up. 

When she finishes, he pulls her in for a deep kiss. “This is a way to make it ours, and not theirs,” she explains.

“I gathered that,” Killian laughs against her lips and her whole face lights up. “Why do you think I’m kissing you?” 

“Because we’re eventually gonna christen every surface in this house?” Emma asks, raising her eyebrows at him.

“Aye, that we will,” he murmurs fondly, pressing their foreheads together. “Do you have more pictures?” 

* * *

 

They’re curled up together on the couch, under a thick and heavy blanket. Three empty mugs of hot cocoa sit on the table. Henry is asleep at their feet, while Netflix flickers--ignored--on the television. 

“Home?” Emma asks softly against his neck.

“Home,” Killian confirms, kissing her forehead. 


End file.
